Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Kill the poor

A libertarian government would abolish state welfare. State-sanctioned coercion would be phased out, and the provision of welfare would become the exclusive domain of voluntary charity.

This policy always meets the same objection, expressed here by Commie Mutant Traitor.

And what happens to the genuinely needy if the voluntary charity of you and your fellow selfless wealthy isn't sufficient to meet even the bare minimum of their needs for food, shelter, and healthcare? Plenty of people are happy to ignore their moral obligations, or disagree that such obligations even exist, so the burden placed on such paragons of virtue as yourself in the absence of state intervention would be quite large.

I might as well state the obvious, and answer Commie Mutant Traitor's rhetorical question. If voluntary charity isn't sufficient to meet even the bare minimum of their needs for food, shelter, and healthcare, then the genuinely needy will die - just as they do now. But the question is hypothetical. In New Zealand, the number of genuinely needy is small, and public largesse is large. In New Freeland, everyone's bare minimum needs for food, shelter, and healthcare will be met.

Still, wouldn't it be nice if those pesky poor people were someone else's problem? Here's an idea. New Zealand could secede from South Auckland. Our commitment to the welfare of South Auckland's poor and needy would then come under "foreign aid" - resulting in a 97% cost saving to the tax-payer.

7 Comments:

Bit of a bugger flying anywhere though, the nations main airports in South Auckland. And the substation for all of Auckland's power. And at least one mobile companies main switch. Plus would we have to pay a transit tax to drive from Auckland to anywhere south, or would an Israeli style tunnel get built.

Plus, John Key's allegedly ghetto is in *Central* Auckland. South Auckland is south of the Manakau/tamaki isthmus.

We have to remember that libertarianism isn't a utopia - some mentally ill people may always be beyond help. Let's face it, human nature ensures that we will always have plenty of problems to put with.

I do think that having a bouyant, tax-free economy and zero taxes sapping my income would make me a more generous person. If someone was starving on the street below my house I'd give them some leftovers no question - and I think that's true for most NZers.

it must be nice to live free from any moral compass. However For all the people I hear talking about hoarding money from the poor or let em drown rhetoric I can't ever figure out what they have contributed to humanity or the economy themselves

theyre usually typical socially isolated parasites with no discernable patents innovation or talent (which is the primary reason for their posture above) that has increased the economy of their countries or made life better for their country or the world at large

they too just take resources..and even though they get it easier (usually for being at the right place at the right time) they still don't won't to share

This is quite likely the most significant protest march you will ever attend - do not miss it. We must show the Government - who have been ignoring the public - exactly what us Kiwis do think on this crucial issue.

Good parents will be criminalised if Bradford's bill becomes Law.

Make sure that it doesn't by supporting the march!

There will be marches also in Wellington, Nelson and Fielding. www.politik.co.nz has all the information on these marches, plus news updates, polls to vote in, petition forms and info on how to email the MPs.

This is quite likely the most significant protest march you will ever attend - do not miss it. We must show the Government - who have been ignoring the public - exactly what Kiwis do think on this crucial issue.